DOVER - School officials will begin the search for an assistant football coach to replace Jim Beck, whose resignation was accepted by the school board at its regular meeting Thursday.

Members of the school board unanimously, and without discussion, accepted the resignation. Beck served as an assistant football coach and middle school physical education teacher.

Superintendent Dan Lovelady said he will begin the process of finding a replacement for Beck and that a long-term substitute will serve the remainder of the school year in the physical education department.

In other business, the board approved the purchase of 28 Dell computers for the Intermediate School computer lab to replace outdated equipment. The computers will cost $28,814 plus tax and should be installed by early January, according to Jared Mason, technology coordinator.

Part of the money for the computers will come from the Intermediate School budget, Lovelady said. He said Principal Diane Fisher has been saving money to fund the purchase and that the remainder of the money will come from the technology fund.

Mason also said he will begin upgrading the district's e-mail server. The upgrade will scan incoming e-mails for viruses, allowing calendars to be shared districtwide, provide secure instant messaging and prevent more of the spam that has become more prevalent, according to Mason.

Lovelady also said upgrading will be done on the computers in the administration building to prepare for a change in APSCN, the statewide educational computer system.

The board also approved the purchase of a 2000 model, 24-passenger, handicap-accessible International MidBus at a cost of $40,600. Lovelady said $25,000 of the cost can be funded through federal money, leaving the cost to the district at $15,600.

Board members approved a resolution adopting the academic standards and expected educational outcomes for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grades as established by the Arkansas Department of Education. The resolution also stated that as changes are made at the state level, the board will adopt those ongoing changes.

Two student transfer requests from Dover to Russellville were approved by the board for students ages 14 and 18. The board also approved three transfer requests from Dover to Atkins for students ages 15, 13, and 12.

The board gave its final approval to the staff development policy, which was initially approved in October. In November, the personnel policy committee presented its recommendations on the policy to the board, and board members requested Lovelady work with the PPC to revise the policy. Lovelady said Thursday that he was pleased with the end result and felt like the policy was a "very workable document."

Lovelady informed the board that the district should receive approximately $90,000 in growth funding in January. He said the first quarter average daily membership was 1,396 and that if the second quarter ADM was close to that number, the district should receive approximately $90,000 in June as well.

The board gave its consent for Lovelady to obtain bids on paving the parking lot on the east side of the gymnasium. High School Principal Jaime Churchill said the 2004 senior class raised between $300 and $400 toward the project.

After an executive session, the board approved the employment of Sammie Olson as a special education aide for the middle school and high school for the remainder of the school year.

The board also approved the temporary employment of Ella Collins as a first grade teacher. Lovelady said Collins, who recently completed her student teaching at the kindergarten level, is a certified teacher and will fill in for three months for a teacher who is on convalescent leave.